Corn growers eye $1 billion fertilizer plant to make use of N.D. gas

The North Dakota Corn Growers Association says its farmers initially looked at a smaller fertilizer plant. But a feasibility study found a jumbo $1 billion version would be more effecient. The study says it could provide 12 percent of the nitrogen fertilizer used in the three states.

If you’re not sure what it means to “flare off” natural gas, you’re not alone. Last fall the New York Times ventured to the Peace Garden State and looked at the practice, which is essentially the burning of the gas as a waste byproduct of oil extraction.

That Times piece helped draw attention to the problem-slash-opportunity of all that natural gas, catching the eye of this analyst for Investment U.